Two recent surveys from prominent digital asset managers reveal a dramatic surge in professional investor appetite for cryptocurrency, signaling a potential turning point for institutional and advisor-driven adoption.
A poll conducted during a Bitwise Asset Management webinar with over 200 investment advisors found that 51% of participants now intend to allocate client assets to digital assets within the next six months. Matt Hougan, Bitwise's CIO, called the figure a six-year high, noting that previous responses to the same question never exceeded the low 20% range. While the webinar's topic—in-kind transfers for crypto exchange-traded products—may have attracted a more interested audience, Hougan emphasized the consistency of the polling method over multiple years and topics makes the jump to 51% unprecedented. "We have covered a wide variety of topics over the years, and the response has never come close to 51%," he stated.
Simultaneously, a CoinShares survey of 26 institutional investors in April showed that approximately 32% now hold Bitcoin in their portfolios, up from prior quarters. 25% hold Ethereum, with slight sentiment improvement also noted for Solana. The survey cited improved market conditions, broader adoption of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, and a more predictable regulatory environment as key drivers. However, internal constraints like investment committee approvals and lingering regulatory uncertainty remain barriers to fuller adoption.
Together, the data points suggest a structural shift: advisors, who control vast retail and high-net-worth capital, are moving crypto from a speculative niche to a standard portfolio diversifier. If even half of the advisors who expressed intent follow through, substantial new capital could flow into the market, further integrating digital assets into traditional finance. While the CoinShares sample is small and should be interpreted directionally, the convergence of both surveys underscores a maturing asset class gaining legitimacy.
